Romans 1:26

For this cause Resuming Romans 1:24.

vile affections Lit. passions of disgrace; stamped with essential degradation. (Far different is the Greek, where (in E. V.) the same word "vile" appears, in Philippians 3:21: "the body of humiliation.") On this and the next verse we must not comment in detail. The hideous vices here plainly named, one of them in particular, frightfully deface some of the very fairest pages of ancient literature. The tremendous condemnations of Scripture have made the like display almost impossible in modern writings; but the human heart is the same. (Jeremiah 17:9.)

It is noteworthy (as an act of tenderness, perhaps,) that the sin of Romans 1:26 is touched more rapidly than that of Romans 1:27. It is also remarkable that in the Greek we have not "women" and "men," but "females" and "males." Bengel's remark on this passage is excellent: "Often, in exposing sin, we must call a spade a spade (scapha debet scapha dici). They often insist on an excessive delicacy who themselves are void of modesty." These words apply to many passages of Scripture besides this.